Article dispenser with concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article



July 4, 1967 5, Y 3,329,309 ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH CONCURRENT SEPARATION AND DISTORTION OF FLEXIBLE ARTICLE Filed Sept. 27, 1965 FIGURE 2 F GURE 4 MARY SANDRA MAY,

INVENTOR.

4m, 5'. MW, ATTO R NE Y.

United States Patent 3 329 309 ARTICLE DISPENSER wr1"H CONCURRENT SEPA- RATION AND DISTORTION 0E FLEXIBLE AR- TICLE Mary Sandra May, 703 Maple St., Natchez, Miss. 39120 Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,463 Claims. Cl. 221-63) This invention provides a Wrist-supported dispensing container for sheet material and pins, such as are used in beauty shops, and an economically disposable unit assembly for packaging, marketing and quick, efficient supplying of permanent-wave, hair-end-retention papers.

When an operator puts a wave in a womans hair many of these papers are used, one at a time; and at present the operator reaches to a stand to get a paper with one hand, while holding several strands of chemically-coated hair in the other hand. Also he or she reaches to this or another stand for numerous metal clips and/ or bobby pins. Since these movements take considerable time and dexterity, there is a need for an efiicient and economical dispenser, that may be quickly strapped to the wrist in a position adapted for efficient withdrawal of the single papers and pins.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a paper-dispensing container that may be very quickly attached to or detached from an operators wrist.

Another object of this invention is to present such a receptacle that has a paper-supporting bottom, is open at its upper, middle part, and is strapped to the wrist of an operators hair-holding hand at such an angle to that arm that the other hand can easily reach into the box opening and extract thru it one of the papers.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a box, simply made and of a nature that economically may be discarded, filled with stacked hair-end papers, thus factory-making an economical disposable-unit assembly.

Another object is to provide a paper and clip holder for one hand that makes readily available to the other hand a sheet of paper, a clip, and/ or a pin.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary structure embodying the invention and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser, showing one form of the wrist band.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the box of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the dispenser, embodying another form of the wrist band, with papers shown as packed in the box.

FIGURE 4 is an end View of the dispenser of FIG- URES 1 and 2.

With reference to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates an elastic wrist band, thru which the operators left wrist may be inserted (if the box is to be Worn on top of the wrist), in a direction toward the viewer of FIGURE lfrom behind and to the left, of the band as it is shown in FIGURE 1; or, with respect to FIGURE 2, below the box from the left and along the vertical plane of line AB. The papers also are efficiently held in the box if it is turned upside down from its position in the drawings, so that the operator may efiiciently hold the grouped hair-ends with her palm facing upward and have the dispenser conveniently at hand on the inner, upper side of her wrist. Many operators prefer this position of the hair-holding hand and wrist; but for clear illustration the box is shown in the position it would occupy on top of the back of the wrist.

With the paper-holder on her wrist and the wrist in the plane A-B, the operator moves her right hand in the general direction indicated by arrow C, approximately perpendicularly to the vertical plane thru the longitudinal axis of the box. She easily grasps, isolates and bows upward the top paper of the stack, and thus efiiciently extracts the single paper thru the upper, middle opening. She easily does this while holding hair-ends in her left hand, with her left wrist in the vertical plane of line A-B.'Thus the oblique angle which the longer axis of the box makes with the wrist and the upwardly open middle portion of the container are important factors in this invention.

The box may be made of plastic, metal, or pieces of cardboard or wood that are joined, for example by glue. If it is used as part of a factory-packed economically disposable assembly of the paper sheets in the container it is preferably made of plastic or cardboard.

In FIGURE 3 the wrist band is shown as divided, at a point opposite the box, into two quickly attachable and detachable free-end parts. These parts may be held together by snap fasteners or buckles, but preferably they are snugly fitted around the wrist by means of adhesive material on one of the parts 13 and 14, which is lapped over the other part. This structure prevents restriction of blood circulation by a band that is too tight, and toppling of the box by a band that is too loose. This result is accomplished by one of the following alternative means: (1) the upper, inner surface of portion 13 is of a layer of felt-matted fibers of cotton or plastic, preferably of nylon, and part 14 comprises an inner strip of fabric, to which on its outer surface a multiplicity of tiny plastic hooks arefastened. This known material has been used in making draperies. In joining the two free parts of this band snugly around the wrist, the operator laps the felted inner layer of fibers on 13 against the minute hooks on the outer surface of 14, and presses the hooks into the felt. Thus there is achieved a secure but temporary juncture of parts 13 and 14 in a snug fit on the wrist. Optionally, the entire (or nearly the entire) band may be made of this 'hook-and-felt material, so that the bands felted inner surface forms a soft pad for the wrist, and its outer surfaceis hooked around at least most of the band; and when glue is used for fastening the band to the box proper the hooks that are on the upper surface of the fabric are imbedded in the glue, and thus aid in making a strong union between the box, adhesive and band. But preferably the band is made of textile-fabric tape (for example, muslin); and to the outer surface of one of its free, lower ends (for example, 14) an economically short length of hook-surfaced fabric is sewed or glued, so that the hooks are on the outer surface of 14; and to the inner surface of the other free end (13) a strip of felt or felt-covered fabric is sewed or glued. This short strip of felt on the inner surface of 13 may be adhesively wrapped below the wrist and against the hooks on the outer surface of 14.

An alternative, easily detachable adhesive union of the two lower parts of the band comprises short strips of adhesive tapefor example, masking tape or adhesive tape of the type currently used to fasten the ends of bandages to the skin or of the type used to prevent rugs from slipping on floors. This kind of adhesive tape may be used like the hooked adhesive tape, in the lengths and manner set forth above; but no felt is necessary with it, and only a single short strip of it, sewed or adhesively attached to the outer surface of one lower portion (for example, 14) of the layer of fabric, will suffice for holding it beneath and on the fabric of the lower portion.

When the dispenser is factory-packed with papers, the short lengths of any of these types of adhesive tape may be utilized in making an economically-disposable unit. But the currently preferred form of the band in such units cornprises one short lower element of felt and another short lower element of the hook-surfaced fabric.

In waving one head of hair the operator needs to handle more than half a dozen metallic hair clips. Therefore, there is preferably fixed to the top of the box at least one small magnet, for the purpose of holding such clips and/ or bobby pins, where they may be easily and quickly reached by the operator. Two such magnets, 15, are shown in FIGURE 2, one on each cover 7. These magnets preferably are of the button type and of aluminum-and-nickel alloy. When the box is to be repeatedly filled with stacked papers the lower part ofthe magnet (of disk 16) is permanently glued or otherwise fixed to cover 7. But when the container is part of an economically disposable unit (and is not of steel) there is preferably glued to one of its covers a small, thin piece of ironfor example, a thin disk of about the same diameter as magnet disk 16. When the operator begins use of the throwaway box the magnet is temporarily set on this glued iron piece; and when the box is empty the magnet is pulled off the glued iron piece.

The invention comprehends various changes in structure from that described above, within the scope of the subjoined claims. For example: the bottom 5 and/ or cover 7 and/or walls 8 and 9 may be in the form of hole-comprising framework instead of imperforate sheet material; and, if desired, the bottom portion 5 may be a little shorter than the length of the papers, so that when they are stacked in the box they bow upward a little, and thus are more easily separated along their edges.

The following invention is claimed:

1. A device of the character described comprising:

a container bottom element, adapted to be placed athwart the wrist of an operator and to support a stack of papers having a width no greater than the maximum span between the operators thumb and forefinger;

a pair of upright container end elements, each of which is fixed to an end of said bottom element;

four upright container side members, two of which are fixed to each of said end elements and to opposide side portions of said bottom element;

a pair of top elements, one of which is fixed to the top edges of each container-end pair of said side members;

said top and bottom elements and side members forming a paper-retaining pocket at each end of the bottom element and a middle space, between said pockets, open upward from said bottom element, that is large enough for insertion of an operators thumb into the space from one side of the device and at least two fingers into the space from the other side and the grasping of the middle portion of a paper for its withdrawal from the said pockets; and

means for attaching said bottom element to the operators wrist with the axis of the box, between said pockets, at such an oblique angle relative to the said 4;- wrist as to enable the opposite wrist and hand to move toward the said middle space in a direction that makes an acute angle to the said axis of the box.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises a stack of separate papers, supported on said bottom element and having their ends in said pockets, said papers having a width in the direction between said side members that is less than the maximum span between an opposing thumb and forefinger of an operator.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said box is of plastic.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said box is of cardboard.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which said wristattaching means comprises a flexible band and means fastening it to said bottom portion.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5, in which said band has two free ends, and said wrist-attaching means further comprises means for fastening the free ends together, below the wrist.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6, in which said means for fastening said free ends together comprises minute hooks carried by one of the free ends, said hooks being adapted to hook into and temporarily hold the other free end when the two ends are lapped under the wrist.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7, in which said hooks are of plastic.

9. A device as set forth in claim 7, which further comprises felt carried by said other free end, adapted to engage and temporarily hold said hooks when the bands are lapped.

10. A device as set forth. in claim 1, which further comprises at least one magnet, and means for attaching said magnet on and above one of said top elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 718,058 1/1903 Sexton 22-163 1,080,240 12/1913 Tidd 1336 X 1,163,173 12/1915 Pusinelli.

2,087,181 7/1937 Conway 221- X 2,098,477 11/1937 Welsh 22151 X 2,253,885 8/1941 Bregou 22134 X 2,347,823 5/1944 Goodman et al. 221185 X 2,383,207 8/ 1945 Morrell 22136 2,623,632 12/1952 Mellor 221-55 2,715,315 8/1955 Giardini 221-58 X 2,754,029 7/1956 Maxcey 221 -46 3,086,529 4/1963 Munz et a1 128171 X 3,247,847 4/ 1966 Mathison 24-87 X FOREIGN PATENTS 4,823 1894 Great Britain.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING: A CONTAINER BOTTOM ELEMENT, ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ATHWART THE WRIST OF AN OPERATOR AND TO SUPPORT A STACK OF PAPERS HAVING A WIDTH NO GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM SPAN BETWEEN THE OPERATOR''S THUMB AND FOREFINGER; A PAIR OF UPRIGHT CONTAINER END ELEMENTS, EACH OF WHICH IS FIXED TO AN END OF SAID BOTTOM ELEMENT; FOUR UPRIGHT CONTAINER SIDE MEMBERS, TWO OF WHICH ARE FIXED TO EACH OF SAID END ELEMENTS AND TO OPPOSIDE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID BOTTOM ELEMENT; A PAIR OF TOP ELEMENTS, ONE OF WHICH IS FIXED TO THE TOP EDGES OF EACH CONTAINER-END PAIR OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS; SAID TOP AND BOTTOM ELEMENTS AND SIDE MEMBERS FORMING A PAPER-RETAINING POCKET AT EACH END OF THE BOTTOM ELEMENT AND A MIDDLE SPACE, BETWEEN SAID POCKETS, OPEN UPWARD FROM SAID BOTTOM ELEMENT, THAT IS LARGE ENOUGH FOR INSERTION OF AN OPERATOR''S THUMB INTO THE SPACE FROM ONE SIDE OF THE DEVICE AND AT LEAST TWO FINGERS INTO THE SPACE FROM THE OTHER SIDE AND THE GRASPING OF THE MIDDLE PORTION OF A PAPER FOR ITS WITHDRAWAL FROM THE SAID POCKETS; AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID BOTTOM ELEMENT TO THE OPERATOR''S WRIST WITH THE AXIS OF THE BOX, BETWEEN SAID POCKETS, AT SUCH AN OBLIQUE ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE SAID WRIST AS TO ENABLE THE OPPOSITE WRIST AND HAND TO MOVE TOWARD THE SAID MIDDLE SPACE IN A DIRECTION THAT MAKES AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE SAID AXIS OF THE BOX. 